The document discusses the importance of visual thinking in the writing process, particularly for journalists who need to convey complex information effectively. It outlines various methods such as mind mapping, clustering, and timeline creation that facilitate understanding and organization of ideas. The author emphasizes that visual thinking is about simplifying information rather than producing finished artwork, suggesting that it helps in visualizing relationships and patterns among ideas.

1. Visual Thinking & the Writing ProcessCAJ Conference - January 30, 2010 | Loremipsum dolor sit amet, consecteturadipiscingelit. Vestibulum in dui nectellusmattisadipiscing. Quisquevulputateultricesmollis. Aliquamsempermolestiefermentum. Proiniaculis, magna facilisisegestasaliquet, ante tortorvestibulum dui, ut dictum nisl ante sedfelis. Loremipsum dolor sit amet, consecteturadipiscingelit. Vestibulummattisjustoeununcvenenatismollis. Cras ac turpis vitae dolor vestibulumaliquet in vel dui. Duisplacerat, augue non interdumimperdiet, nisleliteleifenddiam, sit ametvulputate nisi loremeueros. Praesentturpis quam, lobortis at molestievel, adipiscing ac est. Praesentutmetusvenenatisliberofermentumplacerat. Morbivelnibh quam. Quisqueipsum lacus, nec, tincidunt a dui Ryan Coleman.Nam porttitorvelit at felisaccumsantinciduntryancoleman.ca. Vestibulumelitarcu, pretiumutaliquamsed, vizthink.com. Nuncluctus tempus interdum. Vivamusluctusmetus et risusposuerepellentesque. Suspendissepotenti. Praesenteleifendhendreritenim, ac semperorciegestasnec. Maecenas et mauris at enimadipiscinghendrerit

2. Nam porttitorvelit at felisaccumsan lorem Chief Community Evangelist. Tincidunt abi Vestibulum elitarcu, @ VizThink utrecht dom aliquamsed, pharetravelnulla. Nuncluctustempus luctuser metuset risus al po posuerepellentesque. Suspendissepotenti. PraesentInformation Designer enim, acru semperorci. Maecenas et mauris at enimadipiscinghendreritplacerat at magna. Cras sit ametdiamjusto. Quisque id dolor id nibh Facilitator m tincidunt. Nunc magna ipsum, laoreet et suscipiteu, tempus id lacus. Maecenas egestasrisus vitae sapienposueretempor. Quisquesapienturpis, elementumsedegestas at, imperdiet ac lacus. Morbi in purusleo, vitae interdumleo. Nam mattis, nullasedconsecteturblandit, massaodioeuismodjusto, vitae commodo ante loremvel est. Nullagravidafermentummassa, egetfacilisiserosiaculis et. Nulla nisi nulla, imperdietsedtemportristique, sagittis sit ameteros. Pellentesque habitant morbitristiquesenectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpisegestas. Suspendisseegeterat nisi, sit ametpharetra lacus.Quisquefermentumlectus non metusdapibus in tempus magna pretium. Aliquameratvolutpat. Pellentesquefacilisisconguetellus, ac euismod magna sodales sed. Praesent id tellus nisi. Sedfermentumrisus a lorem dictum pretium. Nam sit ametmaurisvehiculaauguemolestieornarevel ac sem. Nullamassaerat, hendreritvelpulvinarultricies, tristique et erat. Utsedscelerisqueneque. In arcudiam, dignissim sit amettristique sit amet, dignissimsedorci. In ultriciesodio sit ametturpisfacilisis a gravidanislvenenatis. Nullamegetleoerat, vitae adipiscinglibero. Aliquamquisfeugiat quam. Nuncconsequat, ipsumutpulvinarpretium, odiosemmolestienunc, quisvolutpatjustoenim id sem. Praesentutmassa dolor, egetdapibus quam. Pellentesquedignissimvenenatisnibh, semperdignissim dolor ornarenec. Curabitur id urna magna.Me.

3. Nuncaccumsanmetusbibendumvelitlobortisvestibulumquissedtortor. Cum sociisnatoquepenatibus et magnisdis parturient montes, nasceturridiculus mus. Duis magna orci, gravida a dictum ac, vulputatevellibero. Suspendisseelementum, lacus vitae ornarerhoncus, semaugueposuerenibh, in adipiscingurnaipsumeulectus. Nullam mi augue, dignissim id cursusconsectetur, lobortisuteros. Morbi in odiovelsapienfringillaelementum non velvelit. Sedtristiqueturpisuttortorpulvinar ac dictum loremsodales. Nam auctormolestiemetuseupretium. Vivamussollicitudin, ipsumdignissimpretium tempus, quam diamultricieseros, sit ametluctusmaurismassa non arcu. Vestibulum vitae esttortor, ac rutrum magna. Sedmattisligulalaoreettortortinciduntvelaliquamnequeplacerat. Aliquamrisuslectus, bibendum et imperdiet vitae, mollis vitae est.What is Visual Thinking?Sketch: Dave Gray via FlickrLorem ipsum dolor sit amet!Nuncaccumsanmetusbibendumvelitlobortisvestibulumquissedtortor. Cum sociisnatoquepenatibus et magnisdis parturient montes, nasceturridiculus mus. Duis magna orci, gravida a dictum ac, vulputatevellibero. Suspendisseelementum, lacus vitae ornarerhoncus, semaugueposuerenibh, in adipiscingurnaipsumeuLorem ipsum dolor sit amet

4. How Can it Help?As journalists you take fragments of information and find ways to convey complexity in an understandable form…Photo: Matt Callow via Flickr

5. How Can it Help?…visual thinking can help you become more effective at that process.Photo: Matt Callow via Flickr

6. Dig through these?Photo: Lidal-K via Flickr

7. Or Reference This?Information all on one page, can easily be referenced & updated as you go

8. Who here is sitting there thinking “But I can’t draw?”

9. It’s not about finished artwork

10. It’s about getting away from the linear flow of your word processor

11. Tools

12. Writing MethodLISTOUTLINEDRAFTPUBLISHfactideaLoremidea dolor fact met, consectfact event elit. Phasellusaliquamidea fact, ac fringillanisl event in. Pellentesquefact factsodalestincidunt. Idea.eventideafactfacteventfacteventeventfactideaideaeventideaideafactfactfacteventSource: Marks & Meaning (V.0) by Dave Gray

13. Visual MethodARTIFACTSMODELREFINEDISPLAYInspired by: Marks & Meaning (V.0) by Dave Gray | Sketch: carey.chiaia | Illustration: Dougbelshaw

14. Loremidea dolor fact met, consectfact event elit. Phasellusaliquamidea fact, ac fringillanisl event in. Pellentesquefact factsodalestincidunt. Idea.ideaeventfactfacteventideaeventfactideafactfacteventeventLISTOUTLINEDRAFTPUBLISHeventARTIFACTSMODELREFINEDISPLAYfactideaideaideafactfactThe process is actually quite similar – and in the early stages there’s no reason you can’t start at one and move to the other.

15. A Visual “Alphabet”The basic elements of the visual alphabet are really quite simple.

16. SimplifyBut you can create almost anything with them.

17. Create ArtifactsPost-its, Index cards, paper. Make physical artifacts that you can see, touch and reference

18. Get PhysicalGet up, move around, shuffle the artifacts to see what happens

19. See the whole pictureLay everything out where you can see it, physically move yourself to view it from different angles. What structures or relationships can you see now?

20. Methods

21. MindMapping

22. MapsA map can very quickly convey the necessary information. Writing the same notion out could take many, many words wordsSketch: Kevin Steinhardt

23. TimelineGive your notes context and a timeframe, show how the events relate and effect each other.Sketch: Chance Projects

24. Comparison TableQuickly summarize the differences between two or more things. Can be referenced very quicklySketch: Doug Belshaw

25. ClusteringDiscover patterns and relationships in your artifacts. Move them into clusters or categories based on their common ties

26. Models / SystemsHow do elements related to each other?

27. Delivery / PublishingWatch for opportunities to tell your stories with visuals that complement your textPhoto: divinemissn

28. My Own Process

29. List / Artifacts

30. Outline / Model

31. Draft / Refining

32. Publish / Delivery

33. Visual Thinking resources, VizThnkU online courses, free webinars and workshops, local communitiesVizThink.com

34. Questions?Thanks for your time!I’ll post slides & links to resources at:http://ryancoleman.ca/CAJ2010Ryan Coleman http://ryancoleman.caTwitter: @ryancolemanCC: Attribution, Non-Commercial, Share-alike